


Beauty and the Beast trolls

by Bluemoondreams



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Darkness, Eventual Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluemoondreams/pseuds/Bluemoondreams
Summary: This is retelling of Beauty and the Beast mixed with trolls. Creek is our beast and Branch is our Beauty. I hope you will all enjoy this little story.





	1. Chapter one

Just an odd idea which presented its self, I felt like doing another fairy tale, so it was beauty and the beast which came to mind. Creek is playing the beast here and Branch our beauty, so yes this is going to be strange, but that’s what I do best. Warnings of fluff, darkness and angst ahead. I have dyslexia so please be nice about the spelling and grammar.

Trolls Beauty and the Beast

Chapter one:

Once long ago there was a handsome but selfish troll prince called Creek, who although he had everything any troll could desire in life was never satisfied and always craved more than he had. One cold and stormy night in winter an old woman came to the castle looking for shelter, when the prince refused to give her shelter from the storm she revealed that she was in fact not an old woman but a powerful fairy Queen. So, angered was she by the terrible behaviour of the purple troll prince that she turned him into an ugly, grey beast and told him that if another troll could truly love Creek just as he was and if that troll would confess that love before he turned twenty one then he would regain his old form, but if not then he would remain a beast for the rest of his life. The fairy Queen also cursed all of the other trolls who lived within the castle and had not been brave enough to stand up to the prince to live their lives as invisible and voiceless spirits.

After the curse of the fairy Queen had been cast on him the once handsome purple troll found himself leached of all colour turning in several shades of silver and grey all over, he was now covered in long fur, Creek realised that he had big hands and feet all of which were clawed. As the now grey troll looked in a nearby mirror he could see that had huge fangs for teeth, and that there were tall curling black horns on the top of his head. As soon as Creek looked at himself in his new form he instantly hated seeing himself like this, the prince went on a full rampage around the castle, he smashed all the mirrors he could find in the castle so that he didn’t have to look at himself. Creek also slashed all the pictures of himself to pieces so that he no longer had to look at what he used to be like before the curse. Years passed him by and slowly but surely Creek lost nearly all hope that any troll would ever come to his castle to set him free from his curse. There were times when the grey troll thought about giving up on the idea that any troll would find his castle completely but there was something deep inside the prince which refused to give up on finding a troll who could break the curse.

 

In a small town called Tree Town which not far from the edge of the forest in which the castle stood there lived a handsome blue troll, his name was Branch, he was considered rather odd by the rest of the trolls of his village as he preferred to read and invent new things, rather than party or have fun with all of the rest of the trolls. Despite this he had caught the eye of the daughter of the mayor of the town Poppy and she desperately wanted Branch to become her boyfriend and then husband. Branch however had no interest in marrying the daughter of mayor Peppy, he wanted to find the one troll whom he could love with all of his heart and for the blue troll this was not Poppy. Today as he often was Branch was walking through the town reading one of his books, Poppy came bouncing up to him, the blue troll tried to walk around her without letting on to the mayor’s daughter that he knew it was her standing in his way. Poppy however was determined to have the other troll’s attention, so she snatched the book away from him, Branch looked down at her and raised both eye brows at her before he said. “Yes Poppy what is it?”

“So, as I am sure you know my birthday party is tomorrow night and I’m hoping you will go to the party with me as my boyfriend.”

“Firstly I’d like my book back Poppy and secondly you know I don’t love you in that way…You are my friend, in fact you are one of my oldest friends, but I just can’t see you as anything more than that I’m sorry.” Poppy sighed, she rolled her eyes but handed Branch’s book back to him, he tucked it under one arm, the pink troll turned her best cute look onto the other troll who simply looked back at her clearly not moved by this action, he then sighed and said to her. “Poppy that look is not going to work on me, I’ve known you since you were a little troll and I’m totally immune to those looks. As I have said to you before when you have asked me this question, I’m more than happy to come to your party tomorrow as your friend but nothing more than that.”

With this said Branch walked around the mayor’s daughter and then carried on walking back to his small cottage at the edge of the village. Poppy watched him as he walked away, she placed her hands onto her hips again and said to herself under her breath. “I will make you mine.” The pink troll then went looking for her two best friends so that she could try and get them to help her to win Branch for her own.

After a short look around town for the twins the pink troll soon found the two of them, they were sitting on the edge of the fountain, this was a spot where the twins liked to sit and watch the other trolls of the village as they went about their business. The Satin and Chenille spotted their friend, they waved to Poppy, she waved at them and then ran over to her friends. “Guys I need your help! I want Branch to be my boyfriend but he won’t go out with me!”

“Girl, you’ve been trying to get him to go out with you for years and years just give it up already!” Chenille said to her as she rolled her eyes at the pink troll.

Poppy huffed at her he glared slightly at the other troll and then said to her. “Branch is the most handsome troll in Tree Town, so he should be mine.”

The twins shared a concerned look and then Satin spoke up. “Poppy that is not a reason to peruse Branch in the way you are, isn’t there anything else you like about him?”

“I know he can be happy I’ve seen it, I also know that deep down Branch can dance sing and have fun just like the rest of us. If he would just let me in I know that I could show Branch how to let himself do both of those things and that we’d make a stunning couple.”

The twins shared another concerned look, they knew that their happy go lucky friend had a tendency to see only what she wanted to see which was the cup cakes and rainbows of life, but to them it sounded like Poppy wanted to turn Branch into a male version of herself. Satin and Chenille knew that the blue troll was never going to be exactly the same way as Poppy, as he was quiet happy being his own troll and the twins were not sure how they could break this news to their friend in a way which wouldn’t either hurt her feelings or make Poppy decide to go after Branch in an even more energetic manor than she was already. “Poppy maybe you should think about focusing on some other troll, after all I’m sure that any troll in Tree Town would be more than happy to be your boyfriend.”

“I’m just not ready to give up on Branch yet.” The daughter of the town mayor said with determination glinting in her eyes.

The twins sighed they knew that determined look on their friends face and they knew in that moment that Poppy really wasn’t going to give up on making Branch hers just yet, all they could do was hope that in time the pink troll would eventually see that the other troll wasn’t interested in her in a romantic light at all. Satin and Chenille had to admit that they wondered if the blue troll was in fact interested in any troll in their little town, as they had never seen Branch even try to date anyone in the town.

 

The blue troll mean while had made it home to his cottage, he was eager to work on one of his latest inventions, Branch placed his book onto his book shelf, he went over to his work bench and sat down at it. Soon the blue troll was working hard on his latest invention and as he worked the inventor sang quietly to himself. As the darkness of evening set in Branch stopped working, he let out a sigh, he looked around at his quiet home and then sighed again, it was times like this that the loneliness came back to haunt him at full force. For Branch it was very hard being the only member of his family to have survived the pandemic which had struck their town many years ago when he had been only a little troll. The blue troll shook himself out of his dark thoughts, he knew that if his family were here that they would not want him to be sad about their loss and to try and carry on living his life. Quickly Branch got to his feet he made himself something to eat and once he had eaten his meal the inventor lit his lamps around his house and stirred his fire into life. With this done Branch settled down with a good book and read a few hours before he went to bed, as the blue troll lay in bed he thought about Poppy and what she wanted from him. The inventor wished he could make the pink troll see that he would never love her in the way she wanted him to, Branch had told her this many times, the blue troll had even told her that he was seeking someone he could love truly and that he would never settle for anything less in his life but Poppy seemed to just gloss over all of this in her determination to have him as hers. Branch shook his head, he let out a sigh, the blue troll blew out his bedside candle, the inventor then closed his eyes and then fell asleep.

When the inventor slept that night he dreamt, the blue troll realised that he was in a garden, Branch had to admit that it was the most beautiful garden he had ever seen in his life. All around him the rose bushes were in bloom, the roses of these bushes were in a shade of purple which was like twilight and blue which was same shade as himself. Branch looked around this rose garden awe clear in his eyes, slowly he looked up at the dark sky which was full of glittering stars and a perfect full moon. “Hello there.” Said a male voice from behind him.

The blue troll jumped with surprise, he turned around to find no one standing behind him and frowned with confusion. “Is someone there?”

The voice came again, but this time it came from all around the blue troll. “Please I need your help…I’m begging you soul mate…Come to me…Please.”

Branch sat bolt upright in bed, he gasped, the blue troll felt so strange after that dream, it made him feel as if there was somewhere he should be and something he should be doing. The inventor shook himself it was a strange feeling to have, the blue troll decided to make some use of the energy this odd dream had given him, quickly Branch got out of bed, he dressed ate some breakfast and once he had finished eating the blue troll cleaned up after breakfast. Once this was done Branch got out his faithful back pack, he left his cottage, locked it up securely and then made his way into the forest. The inventor often made these trips out of the town into the forest in order to look for various things to use in his inventions, Branch also looked for wild foods and plants which he could use to make cures for various things.

As he walked through the forest the blue troll gathered this and that into his back pack, when Branch finally looked up from his work the inventor realised that not only was it getting late but that he was in part of the forest which he didn’t know at all. Then suddenly Branch heard low pitched growling from several creatures which were clearly near to him, quickly the blue troll started to look around the area for somewhere to hide, or for a plant sturdy enough to climb up out of the reach of the creatures he could hear, but Branch quickly noticed that there was nothing in the area around him which looked to be at all viable. Then when the inventor took one last look around the area he was in he noticed what appeared to be some sort of path, deciding that this was most likely his best way to go Branch quickly headed down it and hoped that it would soon led him to a house he could take shelter in. The blue troll could still hear the growling of the creatures behind him, he hurried on knowing better than to run as it would only encourage whatever was behind him to attack. When Branch came to the end of the path there was a large iron work gate, as much as the inventor didn’t want to go in he knew that he had to all the blue troll could do was hope that it would be safer beyond this gate than it would be in the forest. The inventor quickly opened this gate, he shut it behind him and then carefully set off up what was clearly a garden path hoping to find some shelter at the end of it tonight.

As he walked on up the path something slowly loomed up out of the darkness ahead of him, which Branch suddenly realised was a castle and the blue troll came to a complete halt as he stared up at the black and grey gothic castle ahead of him. For a brief moment Branch considered turning around to go back the way he had come, but a lot of loud howling from the forest prevented the inventor from doing so. Knowing that he couldn’t go back out into the forest, the blue troll let out a deep sigh, before he then made his way to the front of the castle. Slowly the inventor made his way up the steps to the front door of the castle and once he was at the door Branch politely banged on the door. A few moments later the castle door sprung open, the blue troll jumped back with surprise and then hesitantly Branch made his way inside. “Hello, any troll here?”

There was no answer to this question, the door closing behind the blue troll made him jump again, then slowly candles began to light in the hallway, he realised that they were lighting the way to one of the rooms off of the hallway and Branch followed them. The inventor had to admit this place confused him, it was like this castle had some kind of magic spell on it and although this didn’t frighten him it did make Branch feel a little concerned. The blue troll entered the room the candles had led him to, there was a fire burning here which he was grateful for, Branch looked around at the seemingly empty room and couldn’t help but feel as though there was something there watching him. “Thank you. I’ll leave again in the morning.” He said, then settled down on a soft looking chair where after his long day the blue troll fell into a deep sleep.

A few moments later the door to the room opened quietly, a large shape slipped into the room, it loomed over the chair which Branch slept in and looked down at him. “I’m sorry but I have to keep you here.” The figure said softly in a deep male voice, before carefully he lifted the blue troll from the chair and carried him out of the room and into the castle.


	2. Chapter two

Chapter two:

When Branch woke the next morning, he found that he was now in a bed rather than the chair he had fallen asleep in earlier, slowly he sat up in bed, the room which the blue troll now found himself in was beautiful, but he could help but feel that it was far too good for someone like him. As Branch looked around the room he noticed that sitting beside his bed on a small chest of draws was a tray, on which there was breakfast and a steaming hot cup of tea. The blue troll looked around the empty room, he frowned with confusion for a moment, then shrugged and said politely. “Thank you for moving me to a bed and for the breakfast.”

Once he had eaten Branch placed the tray back onto the bedside chest of draws, the blue troll then got out of bed and he was extremely glad to find that he was still in his clothes from the night before. The inventor left the room he had slept in, as the blue troll made his way out of the room he found himself in a long corridor full of lots of identical doors. At first the blue troll wasn’t sure which way to go, then Branch decided to go to the left and see what was that way. The inventor walked slowly along the corridor, eventually he found some stairs which were heading downwards, the inventor headed down the stairs and realised that he was now in the main hallway of the castle once again. Letting out a breath of relief the blue troll walked across the hallway, he found his back pack by the door, Branch shouldered it, he then tried to let himself out of the front door but quickly the blue troll found that the door wouldn’t open for him. “I’m sorry but you can’t leave you are my captive now.” A male voice said from behind him.

Branch took a startled breath, quickly he turned in the direction of that voice to find a large shape standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs which he had just come down a few moments before. “I don’t understand, I thanked you for both the shelter and the meal…”

“Then I shall explain the situation to you as best as I can, you will stay here with me, the castle and its gardens are all yours to explore as you so wish, but you will find now I have claimed you as my captive that unless I release you that you will not be able to go beyond the walls of my garden. I am sorry but you have no choice in this matter.”

There was steal in the voice of this hidden being and somehow Branch knew that without a doubt he was trapped here, the inventor also knew that he would not be able to leave unless this being let him and the blue troll had a funny feeling that he was not going to release him anytime soon. “I’d like to see who my jail keeper is and I would also be glad to know your name.”

“I am prince Creek.” As he spoke the being stepped out of the shadows which he had been concealing himself in in order to show himself to the handsome blue troll standing in the entry way before him.

The inventor gasped, as the figure which was revealed to him was a huge, grey, furry beast. Branch could hardly believe what he was seeing but the blue troll knew that this was no dream. “Are you…Were you a troll?”

“Yes I use to be a troll just like you before this happened to me, but now I am stuck like this, just as you are now trapped here in the castle with me. As I said before you may go where you will in the castle and the gardens, you will stay away from the top part of west wing and you will join me tonight for dinner.” With this said the grey beast growled slightly at the blue troll before he then swept off into the castle leaving Branch standing alone in the vast hallway.

As soon as the beastly troll was gone from the entrance way the inventor quickly wrapped his arms round himself and shivered. Branch could feel tears threatening to come, he just wanted to go back to his home, it might have been empty but it was full of memories of his family and right now it was the only place Branch wanted to be. The blue troll held back the tears, he was not about to cry as he knew that it wouldn’t do him any good with the situation he now found himself in. So instead the inventor decided to distract himself from his current position, by starting to explore the bottom part of the east wing of the castle. As he was looking around what he assumed was a morning room, the door to the room opened and a tray floated into the room, on it was what was clearly his lunch. Branch sat down in a nearby chair, he watched with awe as the tray was carefully lowered into his lap and although he could once again see nothing, the blue troll did as he had done every time before and spoke to this invisible helper. “Thank you for bringing me lunch…It’s so disconcerting talking to thin air…But still thank you.”

When Branch had finished eating his meal, he looked around the room and then spoke again. “What would you like me to do with this?” A few moments after he asked this the tray was once more lifted from his lap, the door to the room opened, it floated through the door which then closed behind it. Branch shook his head and then let out a sigh before saying to himself. “One thing is for sure and that is that this place is strange.”

After he had eaten his lunch the blue troll explored the rest of the rooms in the bottom half of the east wing, most of the rooms he found here didn’t interest Branch in the slightest, but when he opened the last door in the east wing the inventor let out a gasp of surprise and joy. It was a music room, sitting in the middle of which was a beautiful piano, the blue troll crossed the room, he ran his hand lightly over the instrument and smiled to himself. Branch knew how to play, but it had been years since he had done so, but that was because he’d had no choice but to sell his piano during one hard winter to purchase food. The blue troll had to admit he hadn’t realised that he had been missing playing the piano until he had seen this one. As it was now getting late in the day, the inventor knew that he had no choice but to obey the orders of prince Creek and join him for dinner. Reluctantly Branch left the music room, he made his way back to the entrance hall of the castle and then spoke to the air around him hoping for a response. “Your master has ordered me to have dinner with him, but I have no idea which way to go, can you please show me the way to the dining room?”

After a few moments, the candles in one of the hallways began to light themselves in a direction leading away from him, recognising this action on the part of the candles from the night before, Branch followed the candles along the hallway of the castle until they stopped moving along the hallway. Then when two sets of candelabras each side of a doorway lit up, the blue troll knew that he was at the right door at last, Branch smiled widely at the air around him and then said. “Thank you for showing me the way.”

Branch opened the door, he stepped into the room beyond to find a long table in the room, it was literally covered in food, the table had chairs all the way alongside it and there were lots of candles sitting on the table lighting the feast. Then all at once the inventor noticed the large grey bulk of his beastly captor was sitting at one end of the table waiting for him, Creek was watching him closely and determined not to show any fear of him, Branch walked over to the table and sat down at the other end from the grey beastly troll. “Please help yourself to whatever you think you might like.” The prince told him before he set to eating his own meal without waiting for the other troll to find himself anything to eat.

Eventually the grey beast troll noticed that Branch wasn’t eating anything that was on the table and he looked at the other troll with curiosity. Noticing the way that Creek was looking at him the blue troll blushed brightly, he then gestured at all of the food on the table before him and then addressed the prince. “I’ve never seen anything like this feast…I don’t even know where to start, do you have any suggestions as to what I should eat?” 

The confused way in which Branch asked him this question caused Creek to laugh for the first time in a long time, it took the beastly troll a while to get his laughter back under control and when he had done so at last Creek addressed the blue troll. “I told my staff that this would be far too much for the two of us to eat and that it might overwhelm you, but they appear to have wanted to impress you with their skills. As for what you should have to eat might I suggest you try some of this.” Soon enough Branch was eating the foods which the beastly troll had suggested to him, the blue troll had to admit although he had no idea what it was he was eating most of the time, the inventor found the food to be wonderfully tasty. As he ate his meal the blue troll was quick to notice that the prince didn’t asked him his name or anything about him, Branch found this rude and because of Creek’s lack of manors he was very reluctant to freely share anything about himself with the grey beastly troll. 

When the inventor had finally finished eating he rose and addressed the other troll with the respect he felt the prince deserved. “Thank you for the meal prince Creek and please tell the chef that it was wonderful meal. I bid you good night prince Creek.”

Before the beast could say a word to the blue troll, he was across the room and then the door to the room was closing behind him. A few moments after this, a cooling bowl of soup was dumped over the head of the grey prince, he sputtered then glared at the thin air around him and then said in an aggrieved tone of voice. “Alright Biggie what was that for?”

Slowly a note pad floated up in the air, a pencil appeared next and then writing made its way across the paper which Creek read out to himself. “You’ve just told the poor troll he can’t leave and you didn’t think to ask his name or anything about him, for all you know the poor troll could family waiting for him…He is probably frightened deep down and you just sat there and ate your meal like his feelings didn’t matter in the slightest you idiot!”

Creek let out a deep sigh, he had to admit that Biggie did have a point, the blue troll probably was scared and he should have at least made the effort to ask his name. “Your right…Your right…” As he spoke the pad and the pencil disappeared from sight again and the prince knew that this meant that Biggie felt he had gotten his point across and expected him to do something about the situation. 

The prince knew that this was the only troll to have found his castle, so the blue troll was his only hope to break his curse and Creek knew he really wasn’t making a good first impression on him at all. The beastly prince let out another sigh, the blue troll was truly a very handsome troll, this meant that Creek had felt even more ugly and clumsy next to him and he had reacted badly to these feelings. Slowly the grey beastly troll stood, he left the dining room, Creek quickly went up stairs, he changed out of his now stained clothing and then washed the rest of the soup from his fur. With this done, the prince went back down stairs, then the prince went in search of the other troll to try and make some amends for his earlier behaviour. It took the prince some time but eventually the beastly troll found him in the downstairs study, the blue troll was sitting in a big leather chair by the fire in the room, he was reading one of the books from one from the shelves in the room. Creek took a deep breath, he coughed politely and then the grey beastly troll addressed the inventor. “I have only just realised that I haven’t even asked you your name yet.”

Very slowly the blue troll looked up from the book, the blue troll met the gaze of the prince and for the first time Branch realised that the eyes of the beastly troll were a lovely shade of grey blue. The blue troll was quiet for a few moments after his realisation, Branch shook himself out of his revelry, he marked the page he had been reading, closed up the book and then he said to the prince. “I am Branch Silverleaf.”

“Silverleaf…That’s an unusual last name.”

The blue troll smiled at Creek, the prince had to hold back the startled gasp which wanted to escape him, as the other troll now looked even more handsome than he had done before. “I’ve been told that my surname is uncommon before now. I have such a different last name because my father was from another country far away from this one. So, prince Creek are you going to tell me exactly what is going on here yet?”

The beastly troll shook his head violently at the other troll, before he quickly spun around, stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind him hard. Branch looked at the door with his eyes wide frightened eyes, the blue troll shivered with fear, he curled up on the chair, bringing his knees up to his chest. Quickly Branch opened the book he had been reading before the prince came in, it didn’t take him long to find his page because he had marked it earlier. The blue troll started reading the book again Branch was determined to use the book in order to get his mind off of the situation he was in for a while before bed and to help him stop thinking about how angry he had made the beastly troll. Some while later the book he had been reading hit the floor as Branch had fallen fast asleep curled up in the study chair.

He was completely unaware of the invisible servants around him, they were all watching the blue troll as he slept and they now all wished to throw things at their stupid prince. Though no other trolls could hear or see them the servants had soon discovered after the curse had taken effect, that they could in fact see and talk to each other which to be honest had been a relief to all of them. 

Suki looked at Biggie and said to him. “Please tell me dinner went well.”

The chef of the castle shook his head and said to the other servant. “I wish I could…But it didn’t. I had to remind our prince to ask poor Branch’s name.” As he said this the other troll winced, sighed deeply and then shook her head.

“Well, Branch seemed to like the piano.” Smidge said to the other two servants, trying to cheer them up with this news.

Suki smiled slowly at the smaller troll, the house keeper was glad that there was at least some good news from this first day. “Well if he likes the piano at least that is something I can help with being the most musical one out of us.”

The little troll gave her a nod. “I thought you might be able to. It’s also good to see that Branch likes books as well as music, maybe we can get prince Creek to show him the library I’m sure that Branch would love it.”

“I don’t think that is a very good idea at this moment in time but maybe later on.” The house keeper said to the maid trying to restrain her enthusiasm, but at the same time not completely undermine her hopefulness and helpfulness.

The little yellow troll looked up at the two larger ones and then spoke to them. “Poor thing…Do you really think that Branch might be able to break the curse?”

It was Suki who answered this question from the smaller female troll. “Well so far I have to say he seems to be coping better with what has happened to him than we might have expected. I must admit that he is also dealing with prince Creek in a much better way than we ever did before we were all cursed. From what you have told us as well as what we have witnessed of him, Branch also seems to be a brave, wise as well as calm troll…I think he is the best hope as well as the only hope we have for the curse on the prince and all of us being broken.”

“I hope that Branch can break it…He would make prince Creek such a good life partner…” Smidge said softly to the other two trolls.

“The only problem I can see is that the curse only requires Branch to fall in love with him and confess that love…It doesn’t say anything about prince Creek having to love him back…We will just have to hope that by the time the curse is broken that he will be as in love with Branch as he will be with Creek.” Biggie said to the two female trolls.

After the large blue chef said this all three of the trolls sighed deeply, then after a few moments of silence Suki picked up the book the now sleeping blue troll had been reading and then she addressed Smidge in a soft voice. “Will you be able to carry Branch upstairs to bed.”

“Of cause.” The yellow troll assured her, gently and carefully the maid wound her hair around the blue troll and then she cautiously lifted Branch out of the chair. Once Smidge was happy with her hold on the inventor she then carried him out of the study and up stairs to the bedroom. As the little maid carried him into the bedroom, Suki quickly came passed her, she pulled the bed clothes down and with this done Smidge then carefully lowered the blue troll into the bed.

The orange haired troll carefully pulled the bed sheets over Branch, once she had done this the house keeper looked down at the sleeping blue troll as she addressed the maid standing beside her. “We should make sure he has a nice warm bath and some new cloths ready for him in the morning.”

“I agree.” Smidge said before they left the room. As the two female trolls left the room they quietly shut the door behind them and left Branch to sleep peacefully until the morning.


	3. Chapter three

Chapter three:

When the blue troll woke to his second morning in the castle, he once more found breakfast waiting for him on the chest of draws at his bedside, smiling to himself Branch sat up in bed and addressed the empty room. “Thank you for the food and for brining me up to my room again last night. I really wish if I knew there was some troll there when I am talking.”

The inventor gasped as a small lined paper pad appeared in the air before him, a few moments later a pencil appeared and in childish looping writing two words appeared slowly on the paper. “Hello Branch.” The Blue troll said reading the words out loud.

“Hello there, who are you?” The blue troll asked the notepad.

This question was answered a few moments later with more writing on the pad which Branch once more found himself reading out. “Smidge, I am a maid here. There is a bath and some new clothes waiting for you in the next room, we thought this would make you more comfortable.”

“Oh, thank you Smidge that sounds wonderful and please thank the others for me too.”

“I will.” Smidge assured him, the pad and pencil once more vanished from his view, Branch then watched as the door to what he now views as his room open and close as the maid left him alone.

Once she was gone the blue troll ate his breakfast, he then got out of bed, Branch walked into the next room, where just as the blue troll had been told he would the inventor found a steaming hot bath waiting for him, Branch was quick to not that there where towels on one side of the bath and a set of new clothes were sitting in a neat stack not far from the towels. The troll undressed, he then slipped into the bath, the blue troll let out a contented sigh, had to admit it felt wonderful to soak in the nice warm bath for a while. When Branch had finished in the bath the inventor dried himself off, he then pulled on the new clothes, which turned out to be a new simple long pair of dark blue trousers, a white poet’s shirt and a simple but warm dark blue wool jacket which would keep the autumn chill out. The blue troll had to admit the new clothing looked a lot better on him than his old leaf vest and patched brown shirts had and that they would also be a lot warmer in the colder weather.

As it was a warm autumn day today Branch decided that he would get out of the castle and go and read his book in the garden for a while. The inventor picked up the book he had fallen asleep reading last night and headed out into the garden. The blue troll walked through the garden for a while, eventually Branch found a warm, sunny spot with a bench positioned in it, with a smile on his face the blue troll settled down on the bench with his book and started to read while he enjoyed letting his hair dried in the sun. A few moments latter Creek walked into the same area of the garden, the prince froze, his eyes went wide at the sight of the blue troll dressed as he now was sitting in front of him reading. The beastly troll felt that in this moment the inventor looked like he should be the prince of this castle rather than Creek himself and for the first time in his life the beastly prince felt like an interloper in his own home. Just as he was about to walk away Branch looked up, he spotted the beastly troll, the inventor marked his page, then he closed the book and sat on the bench just looking at him quietly. Creek wanted to go over to the other troll, but he wanted to talk to the blue troll but the prince just didn’t know what to say to Branch. The purple troll felt very ashamed of his curse, as well as how it had come to be laid on him and his staff so the beastly prince didn’t feel comfortable discussing it with the other troll. Creek didn’t know what else he could talk to the other troll about, without making a fool of himself or insulting Branch in some way as he had managed to do the other times they had spoken.

It was Branch who was the one who broke the silence which was hanging tickly in the between them. “Look, I know you don’t want to tell me what happened here and I appreciate that fact, but may I ask how long ago this all of this happened?”

This was a question which Creek felt that he could answer. “It all happened many years ago now.”

“I see, so you have been stuck in this shape for a long while then, that must be hard to live with and that would explain at least some of the way you have been acting around me. Any way I have seen that you have a lovely piano in one of the rooms I found yesterday, I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind if I played it sometimes while I am here.”

“Yes, you are more than welcome to play the piano…” Creek said to him glad of the change of the direction in their conversation.

“Thank you.” Branch said to him gratefully.

“You know you look very different dressed like this, in fact you look almost regal in this clothing.” As soon as the words were out of Creek’s mouth he wanted to call them back again because the prince knew that he sounded like a completely arrogant brat and that this was unlikely to endear him to the one he needed to love him in order to break the curse he was under.

Branch raised both eyebrows at the purple troll, he shot the prince a glare, the inventor opened his book, deliberately turned his back on the prince and started to read again. For the first time in his life Creek felt like apologising to another troll without any of the other trolls prompting him to do so, but the prince found that he just couldn’t say the words to Branch, the beastly prince let out a deep, aggravated growl and then he stalked away from the other troll. Once he was sure that the blue troll was sure that the prince was gone Branch looked up from the book he was reading, he then looked in the direction the beast had gone in and then he shook his head as he did so the blue troll said to himself. “What a beastly attitude that prince has!”

After this encounter between the two trolls in the garden the inventor only set eyes on his captor at dinner over the next few weeks and those meals which were now smaller where eaten in complete silence. Branch spent most of his days completely on his own, so to keep the feelings of loneliness at bay the blue troll kept himself busy by exploring the garden of the castle. The inventor had to admit that the castle gardens despite it being autumn were beautiful, during his explorations of the large garden the blue troll had found a himself a few spots in the garden where he loved to sit and read when the autumn weather was warm enough to do so. The blue troll had also discovered that there was a herb and medicinal plant garden in one of the further corners of the garden, it was this part of the garden which was of the most interest to him. After seeing the sorry state of the medicinal garden Branch had set about tending to it, as well as making sure to harvest the plants when they were ready to use for making medicines. 

When they had seen the other troll working hard in the medicinal garden the staff had supplied the blue troll with clothes which he could ware in the garden and not worry about damaging. When he had seen the new clothes the inventor had thanked the staff for the new clothing and they had left him a note which had told him that they were glad that he was seeing to the medicinal garden. Branch had after a short second exploration of the bottom of the eastern wing of the castle located a still room. Branch was sad to see that it was a complete mess, the blue troll had spent quite a bit of time over the next few days cleaning the room out. Once it was clean, the inventor had asked the staff for tools that so that he could repair all of the things within the room so that he could use it, the staff had been more than happy to supply him with the tools he needed and help the blue troll carry out the repairs. Branch with the help of the staff repaired all of the broken storage shelves as well as the equipment which was in the room so that it would be ready for him to use. Once the blue troll was happy with the state of the medicinal still room he started to use it to store all the herbal remedies her knew how to make from all of the books he had read on the subject over the years. Branch was aware of the invisible staff watching him on and off as he worked on the remedies, he didn’t say anything to them, he simply let them watch him work. When a sturdy over coat appeared in the room to where over his finer clothes while he worked, as well as things and books which would be useful in the work the inventor was doing started appeared in the still room Branch made sure to thank the staff for all of their voluntary help.

Over the time which had passed the blue troll had slowly grown used to wearing the new smarter clothes the castle staff supplied him with as well as how different they made him look. Despite the work he was doing in the still room, Branch made sure that he spent some time each afternoon after his continually silent dinners with Creek playing the piano. The blue troll found that once he had started to practice playing again that he had not forgotten as much about playing the piano as he had thought he might have in the years which it had been since he had last played. The blue troll had also noticed that as his ability with the piano started to improve that music started appearing on the piano stand ready for him to learn to play, and he knew without words that this was another member of the invisible members of staff in the castle trying to make him feel more at home here. Being the kind troll he was Branch had left this member of staff a thank you note on the piano stand this note also asked for the name of this member of staff. When the blue troll had nest come into the music room his note had been gone and it was replaced with a note which said you are welcome and I am Suki the house keeper here. After a few more weeks had passed Branch became aware of the fact that Creek was standing outside the door of the music room listening to him as he played the piano. The inventor said nothing to the beastly prince about his presence outside the door of the room, instead he just let Creek stand out in the corridor and listen to him play.

A month after the terrible incident in the garden Branch came out of the music room to find Creek standing in the hallway, the two of them looked at each other for a long while and then the beastly troll stepped to one side for the other troll to walk passed him. Unused to such curtesy from the prince Branch gave him a polite bow of the head in response to this gesture, before he then walked passed Creek and headed into the castle to go to his room for the night. The blue troll was well aware of the other troll watching him walk away, he fought not to turn around and look back at him in order to see what the prince was thinking as he looked at him.

As more time passed and the cold weather of winter closed in, Branch began to wonder if anyone back home in Tree Town was wondering where he was or if they were looking for him still if they had even looked for him at all. Now that Branch was confined to the castle, he spent time playing the piano, he also brewed various cures and when the blue troll was not doing these things he spent time exploring the upper part of the east wing which appeared to be full of guest rooms. The inventor was slowly but surely making his way through the many books which he had found in the east wing, Branch had already made his mind up that when he started to run out of books to read that he would then explore the bottom part of the west wing, which he knew nothing of save the dining room.


	4. Chapterfour

Chapter four:

As time had passed Creek had become used to watching Branch as he went about the castle, what the other troll did for most of the day the prince didn’t know and he found it hard to even find the words to ask Branch what he did each day. The beastly prince enjoyed listening to the other troll as he played the piano, Creek had to admit that he hadn’t expected Branch to be as skilled at playing the instrument as he had discovered he was. Creek had noticed that unlike other trolls the inventor didn’t sing or dance and the prince was curious as to why this was the case, he wanted to ask Branch why he didn’t sing or dance, but he couldn’t think of a way to ask the question without making things between them worse than they already were. The beastly prince wanted to make things between them better but he just didn’t know how to go about it, Creek had contemplated asking his staff but he was too proud to ask for their help. Despite the cold of the winters day the beastly prince was walking around the garden lost in thought, Creek didn’t even notice when the sun went down, eventually the grey beast went into the castle and to bed. 

As he slept the prince dreamt that he was once again in his old troll form, as he looked around Creek realised that he was in his castle garden and that he could hear weeping. Quickly the purple troll followed the sound of the crying through the twists and turns of the garden, he came out into the rose garden, kneeling in the middle of it with his face in his hands and weeping as though the world was ending was Branch. Creek approached him and once the purple troll was closer to the blue troll he addressed the other troll gently. “Don’t cry.”

Branch looked up at him with tears streaming down his face. “This is all your fault! You made me stay here! You took me away from my family! I hate you! I hate you! I will never ever love you!” The blue troll yelled at him his eyes and voice full of hate as he did so.

Creek stepped back from Branch, to him each one of those words felt like blows, unable to stand hearing those words from the inventor he turned and fled from the other troll. As he ran Creek tripped over something which caused the purple troll to fall down onto his knees, as he did so the prince became a beast again and he started to weep himself, his whole body shaking with the force of his sobs. Then a white light bloomed in front of Creek, the prince was almost completely unaware of this light and as this light faded hands landed on his shoulders, startled the beastly troll looked up, standing before him was Branch and he was glowing with blue light. Slowly his beastly form faded away once more, he started to glow with purple light as the other troll helped him to stand and once he was on his feet Branch gently wiped the tears from Creek’s cheeks. “If you want to win my heart then you need to open your own heart to love as well.”

The purple troll swallowed, those words where extremely wise and the voice of the other troll had been tremendously gentle as he had spoken to him. Slowly Branch smiled at him and addressed him once more. “I look forward to seeing your true colours Creek, don’t be afraid to let them show, because if you don’t show them to me how am I supposed to see you? Trust me and I will trust you in return.” The blue troll placed a kiss onto the forehead of the purple troll and then he faded into nothing.

Creek’s eyes flew open, he sat up in bed, the beastly prince placed a hand to his forehead and he found that it still felt warm to the touch, the grey troll hadn’t experienced a dream like that since he had been cursed. Creek felt the small spark of hope inside him flaring into a bigger fire then it had been for years and the prince found himself smiling for the first time in a long time. Determined after this dream to find a way to build a better relationship between himself and Branch the prince went for walks around the garden over the next few days thinking about what he could do. It was perhaps unsurprising that despite his fur that spending so much time out in the cold garden meant that Creek became sick with a terrible cold.

Branch only found out that the prince was ill when Smidge, took out her note pad and pencil and wrote him a note one morning shortly after he had dressed for the day. “Prince Creek sick, you won’t need to have dinner with him tonight.”

The blue troll frowned after he read this message from the maid and then spoke to her. “How ill is the prince?”

The pencil hovered for a few moments and then she wrote. “Very.”

“Smidge…I’d like to help take care of Creek…I know what it is like to be ill and alone…But the prince told me that I can’t go into the upper part of the west wing which is where I assume his rooms are. Would you ask him if he’d be willing to be moved down here so I can help look after him, or if he will let me come up to his rooms and help?”

The little yellow troll stared at Branch for a few moments, there was something in his voice when he spoke about knowing what it was like to be sick and alone that made her feel suddenly protective of the blue troll. Smidge swallowed, she didn’t think that what Branch was asking her to do was a bad thing in fact she felt that either of his suggestions were quite sensible considering the situation, but she knew well enough just how cantankerous the prince could be. “I will ask him.” The maid wrote on the paper.

“Before you go to see the prince would you come with me to the still room?”

“Of cause.” Smidge assured him before she tucked away the notepad and pencil away.

Together they went down to the still room, the blue troll pulled a few things out of the storage shelves, turned around and then held them out. “These will help with just a general cold. You brew them like you would a tea, do you understand?”

The maid quickly took the items from Branch, the blue troll watched them vanish as she obviously did something with them in order to carry them. What the inventor couldn’t see was that Smidge had popped the items he had given her into the pocket of her pinafore. Once this was done the little maid then drew out her notepad and pencil once more and wrote. “I understand Branch and thank you for helping prince Creek.”

The blue troll smiled and then spoke to her once more. “Your welcome, hopefully this will help and if prince Creek is willing to let me see him, then I might be able to work out which one of the medicinal cures I have stored down here will best be able to help prince Creek to recover more quickly if this one isn’t the best one to be used. If you should need to find me Smidge I will be playing the piano.”

Branch watched the note pad and pencil disappear again, once he was sure the maid was gone, the blue troll left the still room he made his way to the music room. The inventor sat at the piano, a short while later he began to play, Branch lost himself in the music and allowing himself to enjoy the sound of the instrument he was playing. The blue troll stopped playing when he noticed a note pad out of the corner of his eye, Branch turned towards the notepad and in writing he now recognised as belonging to Suki wrote across the page. “Prince Creek has been moved into the bedroom to the right hand side of your bedroom, we would be glad if you would come and have a look at the prince.”

“Of course Suki.” The blue troll rose from the piano bench, he left the music room and then made his way upstairs.

When he entered the guestroom which contained Creek he could hear the coughing coming from the beastly troll and made a note of that before he walked over to the bedside. When he reached the bedside the blue troll could feel the heat radiating off of the prince, Branch looked down on the prince it was hard to tell since he had fur if Creek was pale. “What symptoms do you have aside from having a temperature and a cough?” The blue troll asked him in a soft voice.

“Headache, I ache all over and I’m thirsty.” 

“Sounds like you have got yourself a nasty fever, you’re going to need plenty of water and I have a herbal tea which should help, I gave some of it to Smidge earlier. I’m afraid that it’s going to take a while for you to get better.”

Creek groaned slightly. “That tea was horrible.”

“I’m sorry about that, but to quote my grandmother if it tasted nice than it wouldn’t be doing you any good. Smidge are you here?”

The answer to this question a notepad appeared, on it was new writing which Branch didn’t recognise and the blue troll read out this new writing. “Hello Branch we have not met yet, I am Guy Diamond the prince’s personal man servant.”

“It’s nice to meet you, may I call you Guy?” The inventor asked this new member of the palace staff.

“You may.”

The blue troll smiled widely at the floating note pad and then addressed the invisible man servant politely. “Would you mind asking Smidge to bring, a mug of hot water so I can brew the prince another cup of herbal tea, as well as a glass and a jug full of water for the prince?”

“Of cause.” A few moments after this was written on the note pad, the pad and pencil vanished the door to the room opened and closed a few moments later.

Branch turned his attention back to the beastly prince. “I’m going to go and get you some more of the herbal tea I won’t be long.” As the blue troll spoke he walked across the room towards the door of the room.

“Thank you…” The prince said softly closing his eyes.

Startled by this thanks from Creek Branch turned to look back at the prince for a moment, he smiled slightly to himself before he opened the door to the room and let himself out. It didn’t take long for the blue troll to find some more of the herbal tea he needed, with this in hand Branch went back up to the room the prince was currently occupying. When the inventor entered the bedroom once more there was now a comfortable chair positioned by the beside of the prince and the items Branch had requested were sitting on the bedside chest of draws on a large tray. As well as the items which he had ask for there was also a second water glass, a plate of sandwiches and a bowl thick broth which was on a smaller tray, Branch quickly realised that these sandwiches were for him to eat and the broth was clearly meant for the prince. The blue troll settled down in the chair by the side of the bed, it was then that he noticed that by the side of the tray there was the book he had been reading and Branch felt a surge of gratefulness towards the staff who had been so thoughtful of both the prince’s and his needs. “Thank you for the food and my book.” The blue troll said to the room and as he spoke the beastly troll in the bed slowly opened his eyes.

A notepad appeared in the air and Guy Diamond wrote. “You are welcome, we are glad to be of help to you.”

Branch put the tea bag into the hot water, he left it to brew for a few moments and then turned his attention to the sick prince. “Do you feel well enough to sit up and have some broth?”

“I don’t feel hungry…” Creek said to the other troll in a soft and tired voice.

“I know, but you should try and eat something to help keep your strength up.”

The grey troll slowly managed to sit up, Branch quickly stood up, he positioned some pillows behind the ill troll, then he lifted up the smaller tray which had the bowl of broth on it and settled it carefully in Creeks lap. “Try to eat as much of it as you can.”

Branch watched the prince lift the bowl so that he could sip the broth from it, considering the Creek’s beastly shape the way he was eating the broth made sense to Branch. The blue troll turned his attention away from the prince, he stirred the herbal tea and once he had done this the inventor ate the sandwiches. As Branch ate he kept one eye on the prince, when the grey beast had finished with the broth the inventor took the tray off of his lap, he placed back onto the bigger tray and then handed Creek the herbal tea. “Make sure to drink it all.”

The prince grimaced at the prospect of having to drink all of the tea, however Creek knew that he did need to drink all the tea, so he gave Branch an understanding nod and then started to sip the herbal tea. As the beast drank his tea the blue troll finished his sandwiches, when he had finished eating Branch then poured out two glasses of water and waited for Creek to finish his tea. When the prince had done so he held the cup out towards the inventor, who took the cup from him and placed it back on the tray. With this done Branch stood up, he then helped the beast to settle back down in the bed and then sat back down in the chair. A few moments after this Creek had fallen fast asleep, considering how ill the other troll was this happening didn’t surprise the blue troll in the slightest, Branch picked his book up, he opened it and started to read.

When Creek woke back up some hours later it was to find that the blue troll was still sitting in the chair by his bedside and as he often was Branch was reading. “Thirsty…” The beast said with in a small voice.

Instantly the blue troll looked up at him, he marked his page, put the book to one side, Branch helped Creek to sit up, he positioned the pillows behind the other troll and then handed him a glass of the water. The prince sipped the water for a few moments, then when he was done Creek then handed the glass back to Branch and said to the other troll as he took the glass from him. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome. Are you feeling tired again?”

“No, I am not.” Creek told him as the inventor helped him to settled back down in the bed.

“Would you like me to read to you for a little while?” Branch asked him as he sat back down in the chair by the bedside.

The prince looked at the other troll with wide eyes and said to him. “I don’t know how you can be so kind to me after what I have done to you and the way I’ve behaved around you.”

Branch reached out, he carefully touched the grey fur of Creeks head, he stroked it in a gentle and comforting manor as he said. “Part of this situation is my own fault and although you haven’t exactly been the most gracious of hosts to me, you are ill and that’s not something you can help.”

The beast found himself leaning into the hand of the blue troll as it stroked over the fur of his head, slowly but surely the soothing feeling of Branch stroking his fur caused the prince to fall asleep once more. The blue troll stroked the head of Creek for a few more moments before he stopped doing so and then started to read his book again. This time the prince slept for until the afternoon, when he woke Creek noticed that Branch had another cup of herbal tea brewing for him. The inventor soon noticed that the beastly troll was awake, once more he helped the prince to sit up in bed and handed him the cup of steaming herbal tea. Creek accepted the cup of herbal tea from Branch, he drank it all slowly but surely and once he was done the prince handed the cup back to the other troll who placed it back onto the tray. The beastly troll had to admit that although the tea tasted horrible it was helping him to feel better and he was feeling very thankful for Branch’s presence right now. “Branch…Do you have a family or a sweetheart which would be missing you?”

“No, my family all died when I was very young…I lost them in the pandemic…As for a sweetheart no, I never found that one special troll for me.”

The grey troll was very relieved to hear that the other troll didn’t have a sweetheart waiting for him somewhere, at the same time the prince felt sympathy for Branch when he told him of the loss of his family. “I’m sorry…I can understand your loss though as I also lost my parents to the pandemic.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, but wouldn’t that make you King though not a prince?”

“When they died I was too young to rule, a regent was declared, but before I could take over from the regent this all happened. Tell me aside from playing the piano what do you do around the castle?”

Branch found himself feeling suddenly shy as Creek’s grey blue eyes settled on him. “Well I’ve explored all of the east wing, I’m yet to start on the bottom half of the west wing, so far I’ve only seen the dining room where we have been eating our meals and don’t worry I remember I have to stay away from the top half of the west wing. I’ve been reading all of the books I found the east wing, I love to read and I’ve found a lot of interesting books which I’d never seen before. I have explored the whole garden and I’ve been tending to the herb and medicinal garden it needed some care but I have enjoyed bringing it back to life.”

The blue troll watched as a sad expression flickered over the face of the prince but it was gone quickly and he said to Branch. “The herb garden was my mother’s pride and joy…She always took care of it…I think my mother would be pleased to know that it was being well taken care of. I had noticed you like to read, what are you reading at the moment?”

“I found a copy of the sonnets of Trollspear, they are beautiful…I have never read them before.”  


“I haven’t read those for years, it’s hard to read with my hands the way they are now. Would you read one of them to me please?” The beastly prince asked him, his voice soft.

The inventor gave him a nod, he opened the book at the page he had stopped at and then began to read. “Full many a glorious morning have I seen, flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye, kissing with golden face the meadows green, gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy; Anon permit the basest clouds to ride with ugly rack on his celestial face and from the forlorn world his visage hide, stealing unseen to west with this disgrace. Even so my sun one early morn did shine with all-triumphant splendour on my brow; But out, alack! he was but one hour mine; The region cloud hath mask'd him from me now. Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth; Suns of the world may stain when heaven's sun staineth.” When Branch had finished reading he looked up to see that at some point during this the prince had fallen asleep, the blue troll smiled at the sleeping Creek, Branch marked the book, he closed the book and gently stroked the forehead of the beastly prince. “Sleep well.”


	5. Chapter five

Chapter five:

Slowly but surely Creek became better under the care of Branch and his servants, the blue troll was there with the prince for part of each day, he read to the prince, and told him about his inventing which Creek found highly interesting. Branch also talked to the prince about how he had become skilled with healing plants because of living on his own and due to his interest in the wild which he had supplemented with reading from various books on the subject. Creek had to admit that Branch had a very calming presence which the prince missed whenever other troll wasn’t with him and he would look forward to the inventor coming to see him with great eagerness. The grey troll really had grown to apricate the other troll over this time and the beastly prince realised it that moment that he was starting to fall in love with the inventor. This realization had Creek feeling both wonderfully happy and terrified at the same time, the grey troll had never been in love before and he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with these feelings.

Once he was fully recovered from his illness the beastly prince found himself wanting to do something nice for Branch, both to thank him for taking care of him whilst he was sick and hopefully to get the other troll to see him in a better as well as a more romantic light than he had done up until now. “Guy Diamond, Branch said he hadn’t explored the bottom of the west wing when I last spoke to him, has Branch done so yet?”

A few moments after the prince asked this question a notepad and pencil appeared and the glittery grey troll wrote on the paper. “No prince Creek he has not.”

“Good, then I think in that case I will show Branch the library.” The grey troll said with a soft note creeping into voice as he spoke about the other troll.

The man servant quickly noticed this change in his master’s voice, he smiled to himself, Guy Diamond had been glad to see the prince taking an interest in the other troll recently and hearing Creek talk about Branch like this was even more encouraging as far as the man servant was concerned as like the rest of the castle staff Guy Diamond felt that the inventor would make the prince a wonderful life partner.

With his decision now made the beastly prince left his rooms, he set off into the castle in order to find Branch and eventually Creek located the other troll working in the still room. “Branch?” The grey troll called out to the inventor.

Branch looked up from his work and turned to look at the prince. “Yes Creek what is it?”

“I have a surprise for you, would you come with me?”

“Can you give me just a moment to finish up?” The blue troll asked him gesturing down at his work.

Creek gave the other troll a nod. “Yes, of course.” The grey troll assured him before he stood quietly in the doorway waiting as patiently for Branch to finish his work.

After a short while the inventor finished his work, when this was done he turned towards Creek, Branch then took the over coat off, he walked towards the beast and hung the over coat on a hook on the wall by the door before the blue troll said to the prince. “Well now that is done I am all yours.” As soon as he spoke these words Branch blushed a deep shade of blue.

Creek grinned toothily at the blue troll before he said teasingly to the other troll. “All mine, now that is an appealing phrase.”

Realising that the grey troll was teasing him the inventor shot him an unamused look, which the prince returned with a look of innocence, which caused Branch to start laughing. Having never heard the other troll laugh before, Creek couldn’t help but smile at the sound, the prince was glad to have made Branch laugh. Gathering up all of his bravery the beast carefully took Branch’s smaller hand into his, when he did this the blue troll looked down at their joined hands and then back to Creek before he smiled slowly at the prince. Branch allowed the grey troll to guide him out of the east wing of the castle and then into the lower part of the west wing. The beast only released the blue troll’s hand when they reached a large pair of double doors at the end of the corridor, Creek shot the other troll a smile and then opened the doors. The blue troll took a deep breath, his eyes went wide, he turned his wide eyed gaze to the price at his side who gave him a nod and then gestured him forward. Branch walked into the library, turned a full circle so that he could look all the way around the room, an expression of awe and joy clear on his face as he did so and then the blue troll turned to Creek. “This is wonderful!”

“I wanted to thank you for taking care of me, so the library is all yours, you can ready any book here, as many as you want and as often as you want.” The beastly troll told him as he gestured around the library at all of the books lining the room.

Creek felt like he wanted to melt when Branch turned to look at him with a look of pure happiness on his face for the very first time during his time in the castle. “Oh Prince Creek thank you, this is wonderful!”

“Please Branch, calling me Creek will be fine…After all you’ve seen me at my worst, but I hope that from now on you will see the better side of me.”

“Well to be honest you have been behaving in a pretty beastly manner towards me.” Branch said to the other troll with a cheeky grin.

“Did you just make a terrible pun?” Creek asked in mock anger, his grey blue eyes glittering with laughter as he asked this question.

The blue troll found himself giving a little laugh as the two of them continued to joke together before he said. “Yes I did I’m afraid I couldn’t help myself. I have to admit that I look forward to reading all of these books.”

“I’m sure that you will enjoy it…Would you mind if I joined you occasional so that you could read some of the books to me?” The beast asked this question with a sudden shyness which he was not used to feeling around other trolls.

Branch quickly noticed the shyness in the voice of the prince and lay a hand on his arm before saying to the other troll. “I’d be happy to read to you whenever you want me to.”

“Thank you Branch. I was wondering would you sing for me…I’d really like to hear you…” As he spoke the beastly troll placed his larger hand over that of the blue troll.

The inventor was quiet for a few moments, he was clearly lost in thought so Creek waited determined not to rush the other troll to an answer and eventually Branch said. “I haven’t tried singing since I was a child…I have no idea what I’d sound like or even if I could sing.”

“I’ll be honest I haven’t tried singing myself since I changed shape so how about we try singing together? That way we can make fools of ourselves together if we can’t sing.” These words caused the blue troll to laugh once more and Creek was glad to see that he had manage to cheer the other troll up a little.

When the laughter from Branch died, he smiled at Creek gratefully and then gave him a nod. “that sounds like a very good idea Creek.”

“Good I’m glad to hear you think that. So, what songs do you know which we might both know?”

The blue troll thought for a few moments before he said to the prince. “Well I know all of the classic songs, but my favourite one was always lavender’s blue…Do you know that song?”

“Yes I know that song very well, do you want to try singing together now?”

Branch shook his head, he noticed the prince deflate as he did this and the blue troll quickly explained the shake of his head by saying to the beastly troll. “I’m not saying that we shouldn’t sing together, I just think that we should go to the music room so I can play the music to go which goes with the song.” This time the blue troll held his hand out to Creek and waited for the other troll to take his hand.

The prince’s eyes widened as Branch did this, but he quickly put his hand into that of the other troll and together the two of them walked back to the music room. Once they were inside, Creek crossed the room to stand beside the piano, while the blue troll settled down at the piano and started to play lavender’s blue without needing the sheet music to do so which caused Creek to smile down at the other troll. The prince was the one out of the two trolls to start singing the song, he was pleased to discover that despite his change of shape that his voice didn’t sound as bad as he had thought it might. When Branch’s voice joined his a few moment’s latter the beast was aware of his eyes widening for a second time, the voice of the blue troll was exquisitely angelic and Creek knew then and there he was going to look forward to hearing Branch sing again. Both trolls found themselves smiling widely because their voices harmonised together perfectly and it felt to both of them that it was almost as if their voices were always meant to sing together.

“Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,  
Lavender's green  
When you are king, dilly dilly,  
I shall be queen.

Who told you so, dilly dilly,  
Who told you so?  
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,  
That told me so.

Call up your friends, dilly, dilly  
Set them to work  
Some to the plough, dilly dilly,  
Some to the fork.

Some to the hay, dilly dilly,  
Some to thresh corn  
Whilst you and I, dilly dilly,  
Keep ourselves warm.

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,  
Lavender's green  
When you are king, dilly dilly,  
I shall be queen.

Who told you so, dilly dilly,  
Who told you so?  
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,  
That told me so.”

As the song drew to its close Branch also stopped playing the piano, slowly the gazes of the two trolls met a perfect silence hug over the room, after a few timeless moments in which neither troll moved the inventor stood up, he bravely reached out and then hugged the prince gently but firmly. This caused action on the part of the other troll caused Creek to take a sharp inhale of breath, he quickly pushed his surprise to one side and then the prince returned the embrace of the other troll. Being keenly aware of his strength and size in his beastly shape the prince was carefully not to hold the other troll too tightly as they hugged. “Thank you for convincing me to sing once more Creek, I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed singing.”

“You are most welcome Branch. I am glad that I sang with you, it felt good to discover that despite my change my voice isn’t as terrible as I thought it would be.”

“I think you have a wonderful voice.” Branch told the beastly troll with absolute honesty.

Creek smiled, it felt amazing to him to hear the inventor praise his singing voice. “Well if my voice is amazing then yours is angelic.”

The blue troll chuckled slightly and then said softly. “Angelic…Thank you I like that description of my singing voice.”

Reluctantly the prince released Branch from the embrace, he looked down at the other troll who looked up at him slowly, as the inventor did this Creek felt an overwhelming urge to kiss the other troll but he determinedly sat on this desire and instead said with a soft smile on his face. “Shall we go and eat dinner now?”

“Yes that sounds a wonderful idea to me.” Branch said in agreement, after he said this the inventor slowly removed his arms from around the beastly prince, even as he did this the blue troll found that despite the fact that they were no longer holding each other he felt unwilling to move away from Creek and it took all of his will to take a few steps away from the other troll.

As the two trolls left the music room together neither one of them was aware of the invisible staff standing in the room watching them, their eyes were full of joy and their hearts full of hope. “I think our prince really is falling in love with Branch.” Suki said softly to Guy Diamond a large smile on her face as she spoke to him.

“I think my love that you are correct.” The man servant said as he placed an arm around his wife and gave her a one armed hug.

“Do you think that Branch is falling in love with prince Creek though?” Smidge asked them hope clear in her voice as she did so.

Guy spoke first out of the couple. “I don’t know…”

After he said this Suki spoke to the maid next saying softly. “One thing is for sure and that is that Branch appears to be starting to care for prince Creek.”

Biggie joined the conversation at this point as he said wistfully. “I wish they had more time…”

Suki let out a sigh before she spoke. “Unfortunately they don’t…We just have to hope that now that Branch is bringing out prince Creeks better side that this will cause Branch to start to have romantic feelings for prince Creek.” Together the staff turned towards the empty doorway all of them hoping that this tender seed of romance which had been planted between the two of them would bloom into the full flower of love.


	6. Chapter six

(I’ll admit that I wrote this chapter to evermore from the new beauty and the beast film I think you’ll be able to see why I did this.)

Chapter six:

The illness the prince had suffered had heralded a change in the relationship between Creek and Branch now the two of them were spending a lot more time together than they had before. Now the blue troll would play the piano while the beastly prince sat in the room and listened to him play rather than standing out in the hallway as he had been doing up until this point. The inventor took obvious pleasure in sitting with Creek every evening after their meal together and reading him one of the stories from the books in the library. As he spent more time with Creek Branch found himself enjoying the company of the beastly prince, the two of them talked about all sorts of things and soon knew more about each other than they had before. The two of them had started to try singing together more often and they were soon so in harmony that one of them could start singing in one part of the castle, and the other would start in another part of it without even known that either one of them where singing and the staff knew that this spoke of the fact that the two trolls were becoming closer than before.

As midwinters day loomed closer the two trolls decided to celebrate this winter holiday together and the staff where very eager to help them organise a wonderful celebration. The staff wanted this to be a celebration to remember, as they were hoping that it might help Branch and Creek become even closer than they already where and maybe even spark a little romance between the two of them. So it was that on midwinters day itself came, Branch knowing that today was an important day dressed with care, he finally put on one of the best sets of clothing the staff had given him. This consisted of long well fitted royal blue trousers, a smart white shirt, over which he wore a teal shimmering blue waist coat and then he slipped on a royal blue jacket matching his trousers, it too was well tailored to the form of the blue troll flattering his figure in all of the correct ways.

Branch was not the only one making an effort to look presentable for their midwinter celebration Creek was also going out of his way to dress nicely for the day, as he wanted to make a good impression on the other troll. The beast had replaced his usual tatty yellow trousers with a pair of formal dark grey trousers, he wore a crisp white shirt, a lighter grey waistcoat and then over this the prince wore a well fitted dark grey jacket. Wanting to look his absolute best for Branch the beastly troll had even gone as far as to submit to Guy Diamond washing and then combing out all of his fur to make it neat and tidy for the day.

Being the kind hearted troll he was Branch gave each one of the members of staff their own personal infusions of herbal tea, which he was very glad to discover that they loved. When Branch met Creek after he had given the staff their gifts the two trolls had exchanged their own midwinter gifts, the beast had presented the one he now knew he loved with all his heart with a pedant, it was a sapphire in the shape of a tear drop, suspended on a long delicate silver chain, Branch had instantly loved this piece of jewellery, he had instantly placed it on and it had even earned Creek a kiss on his cheek from the blue troll. “Thank you, this is beautiful, it really puts my gift to shame.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” The prince told the blue troll with sincerity, nervously Branch held his present out to Creek, who took it from him, the beast opened the gift it was a set of three handmade and painted wooden combs, startled by this beautiful and thoughtful gift the prince looked at Branch as he said to him. “Did you make these?”

“Yes I did…” The blue troll admitted shyly.

“Branch these are amazing, I’ve never seen such finely handmade wooden combs before.” Carefully the beastly troll lifted one of the combs up and inspected it. “These should be more than strong enough to comb my fur.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.” The blue troll said with a slight blush on his face as he confessed this to the other troll.

Creek placed the comb back down, he placed the combs on a nearby table, he carefully took one of the inventor’s hands into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “These combs really are amazing and it is a very thoughtful gift.”

“Thank you.”

The prince let go of Branch’s hand, he stood up and then held out a hand to the other troll. “Come I have organised something I thought you might like.”

The blue troll, put the box his pendant had been in onto the same table, the inventor stood up, he then carefully took the offered hand and let Creek guide him into one of the other rooms in the west wing, Branch realised that they were in the ball room which he instantly noticed had been cleaned, the beast took the inventor out into the centre of the ballroom and released his hand. As the music of lavender’s blue began to be played on the piano in the room by the invisible Suki, Creek bowed formally to Branch and the held a hand to him. The blue troll gulped with nerves as he realised that the prince was asking him to dance, something which Branch had not done for years, but deciding that he trusted the beast the blue troll bowed back to the prince and then placed his hand into Creek’s. Slowly but surely the two trolls danced a simple waltz around the ballroom in time to the music, realising that he had been right to trust Creek to take care of him as they danced, Branch found himself relaxing in the arms of the other troll, before he knew it the inventor was leaning his head against the shoulder of the beast and simply let the prince guide him around the floor.

As the music drew to an end Branch let out a sigh, he reluctantly lifted head from shoulder of the other troll and smiled at him. As the inventor smiled at him the beast wanted to kiss him so badly but once more held this urge in check convinced that the blue troll wasn’t quite ready for this yet. Instead Creek released his hold on Branch, he bowed to the inventor, Branch bowed back to the other troll, the beast politely held his arm out to the blue troll and asked him courteously. “May I escort you to dinner Branch?”

“I’d be honoured Creek.” Branch said as he put his arm through that of the other troll.

Together the two trolls left the ballroom to go and have midwinter dinner together, the staff watched on with hope in their hearts as Creek and Branch shared small touches, soft smiles and intimate laughter over the meal. They had noticed however that nothing which the blue troll did or said spoke of anything more than affection towards the prince, unlike Creek whose every move and word screamed to them that he was in love with Branch.

 

One day five months since the inventor had become his captive the purple troll was standing in a doorway watching him, the blue troll was leaning on the balustrade of a balcony he was standing on, Branch was staring out at the setting sun his eyes where distant. As Creek watched him, he couldn’t help but wonder what the other troll was thinking about in that moment. When Branch let out a deep sigh the prince felt almost touched by it, slowly he walked out onto the balcony with the blue troll, Creek stood next to him and said to the other troll softly. “What are you thinking about?”

“Home…It’s not that I don’t like being here anymore…or that I dislike you or the staff it’s just I didn’t get to say goodbye to my friends and all my mementoes of my family where in my cottage…I just miss having them close by.” The blue troll admitted his voice had a wistful tone to it as he spoke about his home, friends and the memories of his family.

“I can only imagine how that would feel…Branch…You can go…” Creek said softly no longer able to keep the other troll in the castle with him against his will.

“What?” Branch said in a shocked whisper turning a wide eyed gaze onto the prince.

The beastly troll gulped and then said. “I set you free, you can go, you are no longer my captive.”

Creek didn’t have to tell him twice, Branch ran from the balcony, he was completely unaware of the prince behind him crumpling down onto his knees and covering his mouth with his large clawed hands as tears flowed down his face and sobs tore their way out of him. The invisible staff thronged around their prince, Suki threw a blanket over the prince and Guy drew out his notepad writing on it. “Why, why did you let Branch go?”

Between sobs Creek managed to get out. “Because…I…I love…Love him…”

The staff all looked at each other shock was clear on their faces, none of them had realised that their prince had managed to fall that deeply in love with Branch and they felt the pain of their prince as he wept his heart out. Creek was trying to keep his cries muffled so that he wouldn’t be heard by the blue troll, because he knew if Branch heard him then the kind troll would only stay here with him when he didn’t really want to.

The blue troll had quickly made his way back to his room, he got out of his clothes and put on his old ones, Branch grabbed his old back pack and threw on a serviceable cloak which the staff had supplied him with. The inventor left the staff a note saying that though he was going he would come back, however as the blue troll left the room puff of air caught the note and blew it off of the bed and underneath it. The inventor dashed out of the castle, quickly Branch made his way through the garden and then hurried back to the town he had left behind so long ago. The blue troll had already made up his mind on the journey back home that he wouldn’t tell any of the trolls in his home town about the prince, he had a funny feeling that they either wouldn’t believe him or they would consider Creek a threat and try to hurt him and Branch didn’t want either of those things to happen. As the blue troll thought back he realised that he hadn’t even stopped to thank Creek or to tell him that he would return to the castle. It surprised the inventor that he didn’t want to stay here in his home town he just wanted to sort his life out here, before he returned to the prince and Branch couldn’t quite place his finger on why he wanted to go back but he knew that he did.  
When his cottage came into sight Branch smiled, he let out a contented sigh, then opened the door, let himself in, made up the fire and lit the lamps. It didn’t take long for his return to be noticed by one of the members of town and soon the news had spread through town like wildfire.

Knowing his home town the way he did it didn’t surprise Branch that after he had only been home for a short while, that there came a knock on the door, the blue troll opened it to find Poppy standing on his doorstep. As soon as he opened the door the pink troll hugged him hard, after a few moments the mayor’s daughter released Branch from the hug, Poppy held the other troll at arm’s length and then asked him demandingly. “Where have you been? I was so worried about you, we all were!”

“I’m sorry Poppy I got called away on some urgent business and then on my way back I got snowed in at Liliton for months, the weather was so bad that I couldn’t even send a letter.”

The daughter of the town mayor suddenly deflated as Branch explained what had happened to him, it was a situation he couldn’t help after all. “What was this business of yours?”

“It was private, if you’ll forgive me I don’t really want to talk about it to any other troll.”  
“Oh, sorry I didn’t realise that it was that personal of course I won’t bother you about it. So are you back for good now?” The pink troll asked him curiously.

The inventor shook his head. “No I’m just back for a little while.”

The daughter of the mayor felt sadness and disappointment come over her as the blue troll said this to her. “You’re going to leave us again?”

“Yes, I have a troll that I need to return to.”

Poppy’s eyes widened as she suddenly realised which this meant for her. “You won’t be coming back here after that will you?”

Branch shook his head. “No probably not, it’s time I moved on Poppy…Time to let go of my past and find my future…I will write and I will try to come and see you when I can but this is my decision. I hope you will understand that. I see you as though you were a sister but this troll is important to me and I have to go back.”

“You must have found a really special troll why you were gone.” Poppy said softly to the blue troll, Branch found himself blushing but said nothing in response to this, the daughter of the mayor smiled at him and then spoke. “Good I’m glad that you found the right troll for you at last.” With this said Poppy turned and left, Branch watched her go, the blue troll found that when he went to bed that night the words that the pink troll had said to him were going around and around in his head.


	7. Chapter seven

Chapter seven:

As time passed Branch was surprised how quickly he settled back into life in his old home town, he knew that it would be easy for him to fall back into his old life, as far as the blue troll was concerned he had already spent far too much time back here but somehow Poppy kept finding things to keep him for leaving and the inventor was to kind to tell her he wanted to leave. When Branch went to sleep one night two months after he had returned home he found himself dreaming, the blue troll realised that he was back in the garden of the castle, it was night time and yet he could see his way perfectly. Branch found himself walking towards the rose garden, as he entered it the blue troll became aware of a perfect full blue moon hanging in the night sky above him as well as that the blue and purple roses in the garden were in bloom and they were glowing with blue and purple light. Then in the centre of the garden Branch became aware of the grey beastly troll laying on the ground and that Creek was completely motionless. “CREEK!” Branch screamed, pain was searing through him, it was a pain the likes of which the blue troll had never felt before.

Branch ran to the side of the beast, he got down on his knees by the side of the grey troll and grabbed his hand. “Creek!”

As he called the other trolls name for a second time the prince opened his grey blue eyes slowly almost painfully. “Soulmate…I love you and I cannot live without you.”

The blue troll gasped, because as soon as Creek called him soulmate Branch remembered his dream from so long ago and he realised that the voice from that dream, it had been his voice, all this time the one calling to him had been this troll, his soulmate. “Oh Creek…I didn’t know…I’m so sorry…” As he spoke Branch could feel the tears building, the blue troll felt like a fool, all this time he hadn’t realised that he had been falling in love with Creek or that the prince had been falling in love with him.

“Comeback to me…Please come back to me.” The desperation was clear in Creek’s voice as he spoke these words to Branch.

“I will, I promise…”

“You’ve been gone from me for so long…I don’t think I can…Hold on much longer my soul mate…” As Creek spoke these words the dream faded, Branch woke up instantly and quickly he sat up in bed tears streaming down his face.

The blue troll wiped the tears from his face, he jumped out of bed, quickly Branch pulled on his clothes, he grabbed some biscuits, the inventor ate them and at the same time he started packing all the things which he wanted to take with him into his back pack. Just as he was finishing packing there was a knock at the door, one which Branch instantly recognised, he opened the door but went back to his work. Noticing what the blue troll was doing, as well as the state he was in Poppy knew that something was wrong, very wrong. “Branch what’s wrong!”

“I need to go back, I have to go back now!” He said and as he did so the daughter of the mayor could hear the distress in his voice.

The pink troll took a deep breath, as soon as she heard his voice Poppy didn’t want to make him stay here any longer and she felt guilty for keeping him here this long when it might have hurt the one Branch loved. “Let me help you…Please.”

“Thank you for the offer of help sister of my heart, if you could make me something to eat on my journey whilst I finish packing it would be greatly apricated.”  


Poppy gave him a nod and dashed into Branch’s kitchen, a short while later she emerged with a bag which contained sandwiches. Poppy held them out towards the blue troll in their bag, as he reached to take hold of the bag the daughter of the mayor held onto them for a moment and addressed her old friend. “I’m sorry I kept you here so long it was selfish of me.”

“It’s alright, it was partly my fault for not going back before now.”

“You will write?” Poppy asked softly as she released the bag.

“I will.” Branch assured her as they walked out of his family’s cottage, the blue troll locked it up and handed her the spare key. “Please make sure to keep the cottage in order for me, I may come back to visit sometimes.” Poppy gave him a nod, Branch ran a short distance from her, he stopped then came back to where the pink troll was standing, he hugged her and then said softly to the mayor’s daughter. “Poppy sister of my heart, take your heart brothers advice and take Satin and Chenille out on a date they love you with all of their hearts.”

Branch let go of Poppy, he raced off towards the forest, but looked back once to wave goodbye to her, and the pink troll waved back. She knew that were ever Branch was going and who ever this troll was they had all of his heart and all of his soul, Poppy just hoped that everything would be well for them both. The pink told felt a hand take each one of hers in theirs Poppy looked to her left and then to her right to find on one side Chenille and on the other Satin. “Are you alright?” Chenille asked the mayors daughter gently.

Poppy gave them a nod and then said to them reassuringly. “I’m fine, I finally understand what Branch was trying to tell me for so long…Were ever he is going and whichever troll is waiting for him has all of his heart and now I’ve seen that kind of love I wouldn’t want anything less for myself.”  
“Oh?” Satin asked with surprise.

“Yes…I realise that Branch was right all along, I deserved a love to last a life time just like the one he has found. You know Branch gave me some advice before he left…Can I interest you both in some cupcakes and tea?”

The twins looked at each other with surprise and then to Poppy. “Are you asking us out on a date?” They asked her together.  
“I am, so will you both join me?”

“Both of us?” The twins once more asked together.

The pink troll smiled at them both widely. “Yes both of you…”

Satin and Chenille both smiled at the pink troll and nodded, together the three trolls set off back into the village, as they walked Poppy found herself offering up a prayer that Branch and the one he loved they would be happy together forever.

 

The blue troll quickly made his way through the now green forest, despite its change due to the summer growth Branch knew exactly here he was going and it didn’t take the inventor long to find the path to the garden of the castle. As soon as the blue troll got through the garden gate he ran through the garden heading straight for the castle and as Branch ran the dream was haunting his thoughts the whole way to the castle. As soon as the inventor came through one of the front doors he hastily dropped his back pack to one side, the blue troll took a deep breath and then cried out with all of his strength. “CREEK!”

There was no answer his shout, instead it echoed through the castle, as it echoed the dream flashed through the minds eyes of the inventor and as it did so Branch felt fear stab at him it couldn’t be could it…As soon as this thought entered his head the blue troll dashed back out of the castle, he ran through the castle garden as quickly as he could, the inventor’s feet carried him straight to the rose garden, as soon as Branch entered it he realised the roses were all in bloom and just like in his dream they were blue and purple. Hastily he shoved that fact to once side, the blue troll looked around the area for the only troll who mattered to him at that moment. As Branch’s eyes found the shape of the grey beastly prince laying on his back on the ground, and as he realised that the other troll wasn’t moving the inventor cried out pain clear in his voice as he did so. “CREEK!”

The invisible staff who were all gathered in the rose garden with their prince gasped, they turned towards Branch not quite able to believe that he was here once more or that he had come back of his own free will. They moved to one side not wanting to get in the way as the blue troll dashed forward towards the prince, when he reached Creek’s side Branch got down on his knees by the side of the beast, the inventor carefully took the right one of his larger clawed hands into his right hand and then gently stroked one cheek of the prince with his left hand. “Creek…”

Slowly the beast opened his grey blue eyes, he looked up at Branch and said softly but with a touch of awe to his voice. “You came back…”

“Of course I did…I always meant to return to you Creek…I’m sorry I was away from you for so long.” As the blue troll spoke to the one he knew he loved the inventor could feel tears gathering in his eyes.

“I thought I’d lost you my soul mate…” As he spoke to Branch of his fears Creek reached into his tattered yellow trousers with his free left hand, he drew something out of the pocket, the blue troll realised that it was gold ring shaped like a crown, with a trembling hand the purple troll held it up and spoke to the inventor again. “Please Branch hold out your left hand…”

The blue troll did as the prince asked him to without question, Creek slipped the gold ring onto the middle finger of his left hand, when he had done this the beast took a deep breath and addressed the inventor in a more laboured voice than before. “I King Creek Dawn-song, do declare that as I have no heir that you Branch Silver-leaf are the one to inherit my kingdom and rule over it. I love you Branch…Take good care of them all for me.”

“Creek don’t talk like that we can take care of everything together.” The inventor told him in a soft but firm voice.

The breathing of the grey troll was even more ragged than before now, he shook his head slightly and said as he gasped. “I’m glad I got to see you one last time my soul mate.”

After he had said this Creek’s eyes closed, a sigh of breath escaped him and then there was nothing, no breath or movement from the prince. As soon as the blue troll noticed this the tears which Branch had been holding back until then spilled over and ran down his cheeks unchecked. “Please…Don’t leave me…” Uncaring of Creek’s shape the blue troll gently kissed the beastly King on the lips, he then pulled back and whispered softly to the other troll. “I love you.”

As soon Branch spoke these words, a sudden, bright purple light came flooding out of the young King, it was so bright as well so unexpected that the blue troll stumbled up onto his feet and moved backwards away from the one he loved. The blue troll lifted his hand in order to shade his eyes from the bright purple light, as he did so Creek lifted up off of the ground and into the air. The roses in the garden around them started to glow with blue and purple light and Branch suddenly realised that he was glowing with blue light himself. The blue troll watched as a sparkling strand of blue light raced up twisting around his body, before it then swept towards the King and wound round his form joining seamlessly with the purple light like it was always supposed to have done so. The inventor gasped with surprise as within the now purple and blue light the shape of the young King started to change, the fur faded away, the form shrunk to a more normal troll size and then feat became those of a troll followed closely by the hands. Slowly the grey skin of the troll within the light turned purple, the hair became long and curved back, it was coloured bright blue at the base before it became a vibrant shade turquoise green towards the top.

The light gently lowered the now purple troll onto the ground, Branch took a tentative step forward towards the troll laying on the floor, then the King opened his eyes, he gradually sat up and then slowly got up onto his feet with his back to Branch. Creek looked down at himself with awe and joy as he realised that he was back in his old shape and that his original colours had also been returned to him. Quickly the young King spun around to face the one he loved, his eyes fell on Branch who was looking at him with wide eyed surprise. “Branch…” He said softly taking a step forward towards the inventor.

Despite seeing the transformation happening, the blue troll could hardly believe that the handsome troll standing before him was his beast or that he could want a simple country troll like himself and the inventor took a step back from the King. Seeming to sense the thoughts of the one he loved Creek quickly covered the distance between them, he grabbed the left hand of the inventor and threaded the fingers of his right hand between those of the blue troll loving the feeling of his crown ring on Branch’s finger against the skin of his own fingers. “Branch…My soul mate…It’s me…”

Slowly the inventor raised his right hand, it shook slightly, but despite this he rested gently onto the cheek of the prince and then Branch softly stroked his cheek. As he did this Creek leant into this caring gesture, he lifted his left hand to cover the hand of the blue troll on his cheek and their gazes met. As Branch looked into those grey blue eyes he knew this really was the beast he had come to know and love over the time he had spent in the castle. “Creek…My soul mate…” As soon as the blue troll said those words, the King moved his left hand off of Branch’s right hand, he then moved his hand to the other troll’s waist, he pulled the inventor to him in a tight hug and let out a relived sigh. As Creek did this the blue troll moved his own hand away from the cheek of the young King to drape his arm over Creek’s shoulders and griped his left shoulder tightly as they hugged.

The King gradually pulled back from the hug, then Creek finally did something which he had been wanting to do to Branch for a long time, the purple troll placed his lips to those of the troll in his arms in a gentle kiss. Creek was glad when Branch responded positively to this action by running the fingers of the hand which had been on his shoulder into his hair and started to kiss him back slowly but surely. As the two trolls kissed they started to glow with blue and purple light, it washed out of them and as this happened all of the servants appeared as the curse was finally fully lifted from all of them as well. Slowly the two trolls broke the kiss, they looked around them smiling at all of the servants who were now visible once more, Creek released Branch, the young King moved forward away from the blue troll, his servants came to meet him, the purple troll hugged his all of servants one by one, who hugged him back as they all laughed with relief together. The inventor watched on smiling at them all, he was glad to see them all so happy and that they now were no longer invisible as they had been. As they broke their group hug the group of trolls all turned in the direction of Branch and all of the servants curtsied or bowed to him. The blue troll blushed, he knew why they were doing this, the inventor lifted his left hand and Branch carefully took hold of the gold crown ring on his middle finger clearly intending to remove it from his finger. Creek moved quickly back over to the one he loved, he grabbed Branch’s hands, gently but firmly the purple troll moved the inventor’s hand away from the gold ring on his wedding finger and then said to him softly. “No please don’t Branch.”

“But this is your ring, I should be giving it back to you now that you are safe.”

Creek shook his head, slowly he lifted Branch’s left hand he kissed the middle finger of his hand right were the ring was sitting on his finger and then looked at him saying gently. “No my soul mate, my ring is your ring now."

“You’re the King…I’m no one, nothing…”

Once more the purple troll shook his head at the other troll. “Oh my love, you are not nothing, you are my soul mate and you have behaved more like the King of this castle in the few months you have been here than I have in my whole life.” As he finished speaking, Creek still holding onto the left hand of the blue troll knelt down on one knee before Branch, he looked up at the inventor, the King kissed the ring on his middle finger again and then said to Branch. “Will you marry me my soul mate?”

“Yes Creek I will.” Branch told him with joy clear in his voice as he did so, the purple troll grinned up at the one he loved, he came up onto his feet, he grabbed Branch around the waist, Creek then swung him round before placing him back on his feet and kissing the blue troll for a second time causing them both to start glowing again. The inventor quickly returned this second kiss enjoying every moment of it, Branch was so glad to have found his soul mate and the one troll he would spend the rest of his days with.

The two trolls where married three months later, in a large lavish ceremony fit for royalty, it was a wedding which was attended by all the trolls of the kingdom, the most important of whom where in the castle chapel on the day of the wedding itself whilst the rest of the trolls of the kingdom waited outside to see the newly married couple. Creek was clothed in a smart well fitted suite in a deeper shade of purple than his skin, he wore a white shirt under this, on his lapel was pinned a blue and purple rose and ringing his head was a simple gold crown. The groom stood nervously at the alter with his faithful man servant at his side and Guy Diamond smiled with amusement at the nervous state of his prince and friend. A few moments later Creek’s nerves fled as Branch came walking towards him, the blue troll was dressed in deep blue suite he wore a white shirt, just like the King he wore a blue and purple rose on his lapel but he also carried a bouquet of the roses a bride traditionally would. When Branch made it to the side of the one he loved, he shot Creek a smile, the purple troll smiled back, the two trolls held hands and turned to face the troll marrying them. 

When it came time for the couple to make their vows the King went first, he turned to face Branch took a deep breath and then spoke. “Branch, you are my soul mate, your love set me free, I love you with all of my heart and soul. I am proud to declare before all of these witnesses that I take you to be my husband and King now and always.” Since the blue troll already wore his ring, Creek simply lifted his left hand and placed a kiss onto the ring.

Then Branch spoke the words of his own vows to the young King. “Creek, you are my soul mate, you showed me that love can take anyone by surprise, I love you with all of my heart and soul. I am so very proud to declare before all of these witnesses that I take you to be my husband and King now and always.” The blue troll carefully slipped onto the middle finger of the purple troll’s left hand an identical gold crown ring to the one he wore, he then lifted the left hand and placed a kiss to the ring just as Creek had done.

The troll marrying them smiled at the young royal couple happy to them very much in love. “I now declare you both married, King Creek you may kiss your husband.”  
The purple troll didn’t need to be told twice, he put his arms around the blue troll, he pulled Branch in and brought his lips to those of the blue troll. The inventor brought his arms up, he placed them onto the shoulders of his new husband returning the kiss he was receiving. All of those present at the wedding gasped at the royal couple started to glow marking them out as a soul bonded pair for all the kingdom to see. As they broke the kiss Branch grinned up at his husband, he chuckled slightly, Creek grinned back, he released his new husband, the blue troll taking his que from the one he loved slowly got down on his knees before Creek and lowered his head. The purple troll looked down at his new husband like this, he had to admit that he rather liked the picture Branch presented right now, the King was recalled to his duty as Guy Diamond came up to his side carrying a purple pillow on which was settled a gold crown identical to his own. Creek lifted the crown, he carefully placed it onto Branch’s head, he then held a hand out to the inventor, the blue troll accepted his hand and let his husband help him to stand back up. Creek smiled softly at his soul mate, before he threaded their fingers together as he liked to do, then side by side the newly married royal couple made their way back down the aisle together and as they walked along all those present bowed or curtsied to them respectfully. Branch stopped walking when he reached Poppy the blue troll laid a hand onto her shoulder, the pink troll straitened from her curtsy and looked at him with a questioning gaze. The blue troll kissed his friend on the cheek, he pulled back, then handed Poppy his bouquet of roses and said to her softly. “For you sister of my heart.” The pink troll gave him a wide smile, with a small nod of his head for her King Branch then walked on with his husband at his side, the royal couple stepped out into the sunlight beyond the door of the royal chapel and into their future together.


End file.
